The Long Road
by Nazgul101
Summary: 7 years have past since that fateful day, a Civil War has started in the Cocoon led Pulse. Is this another attempt of the fal'Cie or is it the just the human greed for power? *Some spoilers of the ending of the game* HopexVanille
1. Hope

The Long Road

Act 1: Ashes  
Chapter 1: Instrument of Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Final Fantasy related!!!  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_**7 years ago, six unsuspecting people were joined together branded and destined to destroy Cocoon. We became l'Cie our Focus was to destroy Orphan a fal'Cie who controlled the entirety of the utopian world called Cocoon. On our journey we figure out that not only were the people of Cocoon being fooled, we were also being led on and as well helped by the very fal'Cie we were sent to destroy.  
**_

_**At the end of the Journey Vanille and Fang had turned into Ragnarok not to destroy Cocoon but to save it, as it was there original Focus hundreds of years ago in the war between Pulse and Cocoon. In there sacrificed they stopped Cocoon from colliding with Pulse, crystallizing it and with it Vanille and Fang were crystallized as well.**_

_**  
That was 7 years ago… Now Cocoonians live in Pulse or Gran Pulse as Fang and Vanille will refer to it. Since Cocoon was completely crystallized settlement was technically impossible, so we all just tried to settle in a world vastly mysterious and wild that is Pulse.**_

_**Well at first it was chaos, since in Cocoon fal'Cie pretty much did everything, people were used to mostly care free days. In Pulse on the other hand… the fal'Cie did what ever they please in that sense sometimes caused problems even deaths to couple of thousands. Eventually Scientist from the Biology and Research of Sanctum Weapons they had figure out ways in to "tricking" the fal'Cie to do jobs by using some sort of distorted signals, though I don't know much but it was Lightning who told me so it must be true.  
**_

_**Though everything was good from then, in five years there were already a good fifty large and sprawling cities on Pulse. Large transportation networks and highways were scattered throughout Pulse as well. In true we were back to the Utopia we were used to back on Cocoon… so we thought. 3 years ago an incident occur that shattered the utopian dream all cocoonians had, all of the leaders in the Sanctum Parliament were murder in the Grand Hall of Order. That was when the greed for power arose; heated rallies turned into riots eventually even the very people who were to protect use from Pulsian wild life or rebel l'Cie started to fight for power. In all sense right now Pulse is in a Cocoonian Civil War… nothing like this has happened to us before, what the future holds Is very uncertain now.  
**_

_**Finally me, Hope Estheim I have been coming ever month to the very site I was crystallized with the others to talk with Vanille and Fang. In another ironic twist of fate… the day we saved Cocoon was also my birthday.**_  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There in the same plains that the rest used to be crystallized, the now grown Hope who wore a blue jacket with several pockets and a high collar, he also wore blue cargo pants with blue sneakers. As well as the same gloves he wore before except these were blue with black palms and he had a blue wrist band on his left hand.

He looked out in the distance towards the crystal world of Cocoon. It seemed he was talking to him self, but in truth he was trying to communicate with his two friends he had visited every month for the past 7 years. The problem was they were not responding to him today, he thought it might have been due to the fact it was five O'clock in the morning since he couldn't sleep last night due to nightmares.

"Maybe I should come back later," quietly said Hope to none in particular.

"Hey stranger what cha doing so early in the morning?" cheerful girly voice came from behind Hope, though he did not turn around.

"Oh, uh just looking at the sun rising…" Hope mutter to the person behind him, he was still the socially awkward kid from 7 years ago. Unless he was talking to people he is now close to, he was usually terrible in conversation with complete strangers.

"Well it kinda looked like you were talking to yourself for a while" The voice came closer; he could hear the footsteps coming closer towards him. Hope just tense up, in-case he had to fight even though he hated the fact the he will be fighting a girl.

" Well yeah, I am just here waiting for two people," he responded back coolly, even though he was getting more and more nervous as the footsteps came closer.

"Oh were you suppose to meet a date of yours or some friends…?" the same voice gleefully asked Hope casually.  
Hope blushed at the thought of a date. "Uh no, actually just two friends they should be here in an hour or two," he responded back without showing any nervousness in his voice.

"Waiting an hour or two for some two friends, well that will only conclude that they are _girlfriends,_" the last word was stretch purposely for Hope to hear, in which he sat up straight from the somewhat casually position on the ground.

Now Hope's cheeks were turning a slight darker shade of red as he responded back. "Uh, no they are girls but they are just friends!" Hope really restraining himself from turning around but he found the voice oddly familiar.

"Are they beautifully girls?!" thrilled is the word that can and should be described with the high pitch of that one sentenced.

"Yeah…" is all that Hope could mutter out, he was terribly embarrassed.

"Well it's a nice feeling to be called beautiful by a young handsome man," that last voice was from a more mature woman, and carried a heavy accent as well as a jokingly tone, Hope couldn't help but look behind him.

What his eyes saw, made them widen to the point they looked like dinner plates. His wish for a miracle became true…  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Square City, Square Plaza.

A bloody conflict was going on as two giant Capital airships were going at it on the sky above New Square City, where the City's main plaza was turned into a war zone between the two factions PSICOM and The Cavalry. The battle was raging on as Snow Villiers the new General of the Cavalry, wearing Cavalry standardized military uniform without the helmet as he led on his troops on the ground, now why was a General in the combat zone? The answer is simple; it's the knucklehead of Snow…

"Alpha and Bravo team cover the flank of Delta team towards your right!" shouted Snow on his radio, as the hail of bullets and rockets being shot at by the two opposing factions made it hard to hear anything.

"Roger sir!" responded the sergeants of Alpha and Bravo team.

Snow was crouched behind miniature wall that sustained the soil of what used to be a tree. Bullets chipped away and there were some close calls when Snow tried to take a peek at the battlefield, behind him was Lebreau one of his former teammates that used to be a part of NORA after in which Snow left to join the Cavalry. She was a brilliant sniper; she wore a more camouflage, body tight armor that went with her feminine body.

She shot six times as it was the limit in her clip, she got a one-hit shot from every shot fired not a single on was wasted. "Hate to get on your bad side with that gun on your hands" mildly joked Snow to ease off his stressed as he tried to bark more orders through his radio.

"No time for jokes…" she shot twice "…Mr. General we have to hulled your ass out of here…" she shot three times "…the rest of the team is waiting to pick you up at the rendezvous…" she shot the remaining ammo in her clip, again not a single shot was wasted.

"Well better start running; I have what we came for. PSICOM is going to be pissed when they figure out what we stole from them… wished we could do it with less life loss…" As Snow was saying this he took out what seemed like a suitcase, Lebreau kept shooting at enemy snipers or any other enemy unit that attempted to attack Snow while he was running from cover to cover.

On a skyscraper at the north end of the plaza where PSICOM had set up its defensive perimeter, a warlord was giving orders for jet pack troopers to fly off and he gave commands for snipers to take more tactical positions. The troopers jump of the tall building an began to fly and patrol to find their target as their intelligence recalls is Snow Velliers who is the acting commander of the Cavalry. Though that wasn't the only thing that was after Snow, they also sent two Behemoths after him.

* * *

New Square City, Alleyway.

Snow and Lebreau covered some ground rather quickly, to the dismay of Lebreau she did not like it, while Snow on the other hand was a little to excited that they were walking right under PSICOM's noses like it was no big deal. They small alley they were in opened into a bigger alley that separated towards their left and right, they took to their left as it was the correct route to the rendezvous.

"Two clicks from here and we should see the airship pads," pointed out Lebreau to Snow as she checked all windows and possible hiding points on the buildings with her scope.

"Now that we have taken most of this city and this suitcase PSICOM has no reason to keep defending it, but for us it is a tactical advantage over them," Snow contemplated out loud as to what is going on around them.

There was a huge shake on the ground, in which a giant mechanical behemoth appear right in front of them, that lifted up dust particles and creating paw dents in where it landed. Snow stumbled backwards but stood up quickly to run the opposite direction as Lebreau wasted no time shooting at the beast turned machine, again another explosion of dust blasted Snow of his feet as another behemoth appeared.

"Oh, this is bad, this is very bad" Snow mumble to himself, he knew he could not face these things unless he were a l'Cie but since he isn't, one blow from these things could instantly kill him.

That was until they started to alter their form, from four legged beasts to standing on twos and taking out the spikes on their backs to use as weapons, the difference from these behemoths from other behemoths was that instead of one chainsaw they had two chainsaws in both hands!

"Fuck my luck," was all that snow could say until, a teal-colored substance fell on his left shoulder pad he looked up at the behemoths head and the one person he never expected to see was stabbing her gun-blade all over the behemoths face causing its synthetic blood to splatter or sometimes even "sprinkle" the area around them, that is where Snow was standing…  
One Final stab from her gun blade in which she emphasis the stabbing by also kicking both of her legs forward to stab the blade deeper into the beast's cranium. As the beast fell faced forward, Snow dodged the giant body from it mashing him; the women just position herself on top of her gun-blade and stood their even when the beast fell down with a huge thud sound. The other behemoth as he watched his companion die it responded by roaring in which the woman quickly took out a grenade and threw it at the behemoths mouth, where it accidentally swallowed it causing its stomach to explode and all of its synthetic organs and blood splatter across the small alleyway cover whoever and whatever in its path. That is Snow because Lebreau was quick enough to dodge it.

"Thanks for saving"-"Snow you are coming with me" glared the woman at Snow, he as well as Lebreau were terribly confused at her demand.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a private Airship, towards the Estheim private residence.

"Wow you can afford your own private airship!" exclaimed Vanille towards Hope, where he sat in the co-pilot seat as his own personal pilot drove the ship.

"Well it really is nothing…" shyly Hope responded to Vanille as he hated to show how rich his family was, afraid to be treated differently because he was a "Rich Kid".

"Hey Hope don't yer think it's a tad bit dangerous up here with the Civil War going on and everything?!" worriedly asked Fang as she quite wells know certain dangerous experiences from the War of Transgression has made her fear and respect air space itself.

"Don't worry I am not stupid enough to try and kill us all for just some convenient travel. The Civil War is mostly taking place in the Core cities, for example New Square City, Rabanastre, Midgar, Edge, Archades, and Dalaran," to Vanille and Fang those names were so foreign they barely understood half the names he just mentioned.

"In other sense we are safe, so don't worry we are going to the reconstructed Oerba though its name is not really Oerba anymore, but um New Palumpolum," Hope mutter the last part quickly, fearing he was going to get angry glares and yells, though instead he heard nothing he turned his head towards them… and they were smiling?!?  
In the horizon a small city could be seen appearing through the snowy mountains.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Author's note: No it's not a cross-over of other Final Fantasies! I just used the names of some cities and/or Towns from other Final Fantasies, except for Dalaran which belongs to Blizzard Entertainment. This is strictly Final Fantasy XIII people!  
Next: Act 1: Ashes, Chapter 2: Instrument of Fate.


	2. Fate

Act 1: Ashes  
Chapter 2: Instrument of Fate

* * *

_**When can I tell her, when can I express myself?**_

_**What if she does not feel the same?  
I was given the wrong name; I am completely hopeless…  
**_----------------------------------------------------------

Estheim Residence, landing pad.

The small air frigate landed on the Estheim's private air-shipyard, the side door of the ship open with a set of built-in stairs on the door. The two ladies were out first following Hope and the pilot. The landing pad was one out of the five pads that were extended by large steel beams from the huge mansion. The mansion itself was on a cliff looking over New Palumpolum.

"Now that we are here, we got to get you two out of those clothes" Hope pointed out to the two women in front of him, who ignored him as they were astonished by the grand view that the air-pad offers. They could see the new Oerba, it was quite advance looking so to speak.

Hope sighed it was to be expected that they wanted to figure the nooks and crannies of New Palumpolum, which was built over their old village. "Hey look if you want I can give you a tour of the place, after we change wardrobe," Hope mentioned to both women, in which Fang just titled her head towards Hope.

"And what is so wrong with our 'wardrobe' mister?" asked Fang in a rather threatening tone, but as well with the slightest hint of a smirk being held back.

"Uh, well nothing really it-its just that you will cause to much unwanted attention and the New Order is freaked out of Pulsians, but I am not ever since I met you guys I have had my views of Pulsians change. Me and my dad have actually helped some l'Cie to reinstate into society" Hope smiled as he mentioned this, shock was all over Fang's face while Vanille turned around and smile brightly towards Hope. Hope felt his heart skipped a beat.

"Thanks, Hope" Vanille hugged Hope who was surprised by Vanille's actions, but if it was 7 years ago he would have been used to such a thing happening.

Hope began to return the hug, "Its okay, don't mention it we did it because it was the right thing to do," Hope truthfully responded to Vanille.

Vanille broke the hug while still holding Hope's arms "You have grown up a lot, and WOW! not only personally also in height" Vanille surveyed Hope's height, who was now a couple of inches taller then her, "What can I say?" Hope shyly responded.

"Well how old are you again?" asked Fang from the background who was quite amused at the exchange between Hope and Vanille.

"I am Twenty-one years old," responded Hope to Fang's questioned, gaining a gasp from Vanille.

"Wait you are older then me!" cutely whined Vanille while Fang and Hope lightly laugh.

"Well technically we are 500 years older Vanille…" Pointed out Fang but Hope quickly replied "I did not knew women who actually wanted to admit their age…"-"I was just mentioning _IT_ not implying anything!" everyone just ended up laughing.

"HOPE! HOPE!" and old voice came from their side; it was Sazh still sporting his afro that now shows signs of graying.

"Sazh you came!" exclaimed Hope seeing the older man appear in front of them. Hope went to his side has Sazh bent down to catch his breath.

Sazh was in completely different clothes from the pilot uniform he used to wear. He was now wearing very expensive Cocoonian style formal clothing. Panting "Hope, what was so urgent that you made this old man run like hell when everything seems okay."

"Look behind me," as Hope requested Sazh looked behind him and he could not believe his eyes. Vanille and Fang were standing right in front of him, Vanille was waving at him.

"Now I know why it was so urgent…"  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Square City, Alleyway.

"Come with me now" Lightning demanded to Snow, though Snow figure out by now that Lightning was wearing a different outfit then her usual lieutenant outfit should used back on Cocoon. She had a longer version of her turtle neck shirt that now cover her stomach and it was of the color white, on top of it she had a white bullet vest, with white short shorts she also had a pair of knee-high white boots. She had white camouflage markings all over her body.

"Whoa hold your horses if you did not figure it out now, there is onslaught going on around us!" shouted Snow, but Lightning paid no attention to his retorts.

She grabbed Snow by the collar, "Listen to me _idiot_, PSICOM has hacked your radio signals and know the route you are going towards to. How do you think those two behemoths ambushed you? They have a whole squad of jet-troopers and snipers just lined up and ready to take you down on sight!" that information made Snow and Lebreau just blinked as they soaked the new intel in.

"Now that doesn't make sense because Maqui is the tech genius and he will have discovered any distortions, blockage or hackings in the radio frequency," stated Lebreau, Lightning quickly responded "He did, but he has been trying to contact both of you but PSICOM is blocking your radio signals…" when Lightning mentioned that, Snow had realized his radio only had static.

"How you know all of this?"-"Like you I am a Spec-Ops, we operate above the law in that case we get up to date technology and technology not readily available for the public. Since I am good with working tech more then that idiot over there, it was extremely easy to hack both sides' radio signals. Where do you think all that anonymous information came from?" Lightning explained to Lebreau as she was listening to Lightning she took off her white goggles with green lens as well she took off her white mask covering her face and hair completely.

"But the question is did you informed Gadot and the others of the situation?"-"Yes, the second I knew of the situation I informed all Cavalry units, they are receiving orders from all acting Officers in the field," coolly responded Lightning.

"Hey guys I know we got a lot to discuss but we should get going or did you forget that we got something they _really_ want back," Snow broke off the conversation, Lightning agreeing with him for once. Lightning led them through a different route for a safe extraction.

"Oh, and Snow the colored suites you" Lightning mocked coldly, Snow just looked at his hands, then his entire body. He also notices that even his hair was covered in synthetic blood and gore. He puked.

'Lightning you are more colder then before, what happen to you all these years that me and Serah haven't heard from you?' thought Snow to himself, planning on asking Lightning later as her sister has being worried about her. Now he just needed to mostly focused on getting the tasked ahead of him done and to get out of the war zone they were alive to see his wife and twin children.

* * *

Airport Square, landing pad 74-AF.

Gadot, Maqui, and Yuj were preparing the Cavalry soldiers to be sent on drop-ships for skirmish hits on strategic locations held by PSICOM. The soldiers were lined and boarding the drop-ships very quickly. While on the other hand they were also evacuating all civilians off the platforms and into civilian airships to get escorted to Lindblum, the Cavalries main Capital ship and base of operations.

All was going smoothly until a barrage of missle fire was set off on the platforms, killing unsuspecting civilians and Cavalry soldiers. Gadot barked orders through the radio com for all units to set up positions; PSICOM had air-drones and cruise-class ships bombing the platforms. Turrets were setup in case of such event happening but were being quickly taken out by bazooka fire.

"All units on the platforms now, we are taking heavy fire!" Gadot kept barking more orders as he sat with his more sleeker and slimmer version of the assault rifle, while Maqui and Yuj used the more standardized bulky assault rifle used by all Sanctum or should he say now 'New Order' divisions.

Cavalry soldiers took cover behind luggage, crates, boxes, carts, whatever that could provide sufficient cover was used. Though did not do any good as jet-troopers were taking them out with their snipers blood splattering all over sometimes head would literally "Pop" from the size of the bullets. Air-drones as well as the cruises were bombing all of the platforms. Quickly a Cavalry drop-ship landed on the platform Gadot and the former team NORA was on as its side hatch opened, they quickly board it just in time as when the ship lifted the platform had been destroyed.

On the ground levels of the airport all Cavalry men and women left behind were slaughter their blood covering the floor. While on the drop ship, Gadot held on the handle the airship provided as its side hatch was open, all of them saw their comrades getting butchered by a hail of bullets and missiles.

"Pilot… close the damn hatch," was the last words the Gadot said throughout the whole trip to the Lindblum.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estheim Residence, Storage Room.

"Wow I didn't know Sazh had become so successful, opening his own delivery business, too bad he had to leave so soon," Vanille contemplated outloud.

"Yeah he became part of the family from all these years, I do remember telling you guys all this though…" Hope said while he rummaged through the boxes.

"You probably did but crystal stasis screws up your mind when you are in it for so long" Fang responded.

"I guess so" Hope grabbed some boxes and put them to the side.

"So this delivery service what is it called?" asked Vanille.

"I believe it was Strife delivery service" quickly replied Hope.

"Oh, what a funny name, why he name it that?" asked Vanille again.

"Well he mentioned something about this book called 'Loveless' and it was about this kid with spiky blonde hair with a trouble past and how he and his friends fought against a mad One-winged Angel. The spiky blonde hair kid was called Cloud Strife, so yeah that's his inspiration for his company's name" Hope quickly detailed the reason for Sazh's company name.

"Well enough about Sazh, how about you?" asked Vanille yet again, to Hope for some reason he got dirty thoughts but he just shake his head to get rid of the ideas.

"Well I have been studying medicine… well you can say I am prodigy, since I was studying medicine since I was seventeen, its my last year and I get my license for medicine in two months" Hope pulled another box out of the pile of boxes. "Congratulations, Hope!" excitedly exclaimed Vanille.

"So our little Hope is not only grown up, he is a genius as well. Man the ladies must love this sucker," Fang blurted out surprising Vanille and Hope as they were quite into their little conversation almost forgetting about Fang since she had not mutter a single word since they were in the storage room.

"I am really socially awkward… when I am doing my internship work with patients for some reason I am not, I guess it is because I am so focused on my job but I am really not good around people especially women, I get too nervous so I pretty much have stayed single ever since," he kept on taking out more boxes as Fang just laugh out loud.

"So that means you are a _virgin,_" Fang couldn't help it; she needed to tease the young man, in turn Hope gained a serious blush across his face.

"Well… *sighs* yes, I am a virgin…" it was hard to admit especially around women.

Fang just slammed her hand on Hope's back so hard that the unsuspecting Hope, fell forward into the boxes even though Fang did not plan to put so much force into it. Fang and Vanille helped him out, "Well it is not something to be ashamed abou! Its just that you haven't found the right person yet. Jeez I mean look at Vanille!"-"Hey wait second Fang! Don't talk about that stuff in front of Hope!" Vanille was embarrassed at Fang's comment. On the other hand Fang was having so much fun teasing both of them, she just couldn't help herself. And Hope found some relief at though of Vanille haven't being with anyone.

Hope wanting to quickly change the subject, he opens the boxes they were filled with clothes. Specifically Nora's clothes, which have been kept for the sake of memories. "Here are some clothes, you guys can go to the bathrooms to change, I will show you once you pick out the clothes you want to wear," Hope explain as coolly as he could.

"GREAT! Now we can wear some different clothes then the ones we have been stuck with for the past 500 years!" excitedly Vanille jump at such a fact, and Hope just smiled away. 'Why did you have to be so beautiful…' thought Hope.

* * *

Somewhere inside a building in New Square City.

Six people wearing Pulsian clothes plus one cripple blind old man on a wheel chair that wore a black formal military uniform. On the left side of his chest on the uniform underneath his medals said 'ONI'. They were in a room with a high ranking PSICOM officer and his Elite troops.

"PSICOM has failed the deal, you must be banish... I am sorry to say this," the old man quietly said to the officer.

The officer just pointed his fingers forward making his men point their guns at the seven people in front of them. "And tell me what actually are you are going to do if I resist?" the officer challenge.

"This…" the old man wore a bandage over his eyes but a red light appear behind that bandage and out of nowhere all of the officer's men were set aflame. There screams were the only things heard and the scorched flesh was the only smell that filled the room.

The officer stumbled back, "W-what are you p-people?!" he yelled at them, one of the six who wore Pulsian clothes, the one behind the old man pull off his glove and a l'Cie brand was on it. Though this brand was different from the other brands, it is as if the brand itself was _burned_ onto the skin.

"What do you think we are we are l'Cie of course what else could we be? Well Pulse l'Cie that is, that have killed their former fal'Cie masters… so technically we are what you call _Burned l'Cie_," and with that the Officer was set ablaze by the old man. His screams of agony drowned the room.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next: Act 1: Ashes, Chapter 3: Instrument of Hate.  
Author's note: Tell me what you think of the chapter and thanks for reading!


	3. Hate

ACT 1: Ashes  
Chapter 3: Instrument of Hate  
----------------------------------------------------------

_**Now that I think about it, maybe the miracle I so wished for is a curse to them?  
They awoke when Cocoonians are at a war with themselves and I don't want them to get dragged into a conflict that is not even **__**theirs!  
**__**What should I do…?**_

**

* * *

**

New Square City, somewhere deep in the battlefield…

The buildings rumbled and tumbled as bombardments were occurring all over the city. Buildings showed signs of warfare, as some were missing huge chunks others were completely made into rumble. Firefights were occurring as well; some of the firefights were farther then what the human ear could hear could still be heard of the intensity of the combat zone. War has consumed the city whole, nothing is left in the wake of battle that isn't death or destruction.

Lightning, Snow and Lebreau were in a apartment building that was off from the combat zone so they did not have to worry so much from getting bombarded from above, though the possibility still exist so Lightning acted with haste. They were going up the apartment's stairs and sounds of force eviction could be heard, some gun shots could also be heard. They kept climbing the stairs and they notice a couple running down the stairs quickly, Snow notice the small baby in the woman's arms that was crying vigorously.

"Wait I thought we clear this sector, Lightning! We have to help these civilians!" exclaimed Snow.

Lightning who was taking the lead with Snow right behind her, she had quickly turned around grabbed Snow's Cavalry armor by the neck opening and pull him closer to her face so he could not turn away his gaze from her raging glare. "This is not the time to play hero Snow! We have to get out of this place NOW!" order Lightning, she quickly began climbing the long stairs. Snow grumble silently so Lightning wouldn't hear him, he really did not want to hear Lightning right now when he had a raging headache.

They quickly got up to the 7th floor; the stairs to the 8th floor had crumbled, so they had to find an alternate route. Snow and Lebreau did not know where was Lightning taking them, but they knew wherever she was taking them is the best bet; the route they took to get to this building they barely had encounter any PSICOM units. Everyone sticking to the walls trying to be safe in case of anyone appearing out of nowhere at least they were not sitting ducks walking in the middle of the hallway. Lightning was hearing some footsteps, they stopped at a double path, one path they could turn to probably leading to the next door building or they could follow the straight path in front of them. That was risky move, being out in the open for a second could be fatal.

Lightning closed her eyes, focused all her attention to hearing any abnormal sounds. _1…2…3…4…1…2…3…4… _Lightning heard the steps she counted them in that order and from the way the steps sounded, it sounded like light armor boots. Only PSICOM have light-armored soldiers who are specialized runners. From this she deducted that there was two PSICOM units coming off the path that leads to the next door building. "Okay, they are two units coming around this corner. I want you two to run as fast as you can, I am going to try and take them down quickly," Lightning took out her gun-blade and switched it to gun mode.

Lightning held three fingers up; when she let the last finger drop Snow and Lebreau sprinted towards the other end while Lightning quickly pop-out of the corner and shot twice killing both of the light PSICOM units. Lightning didn't even give them the chance to hold up their guns, she noticed that the stance they were in was too casual to be ready to fight if ambushed.

"Damn we ran for nothing…" panted Snow who was not really out of breath from the short sprint; it is that the speed that Lightning has made them follow this route so quickly has made it hard for them to keep up with her. There were times she had to stop and wait for them to catch up.

"No you didn't if I would have missed, this could have turned into a firefight," pointed out Lightning.  
"

So Lightning where the hell are you taking us too, I don't think an apartment building that has already taken a beaten isn't the safest place to be in right now," Snow was beginning to doubt about Lightning's choice of a "Safe Route".

"We are going to the roof, were I parked my private shuttle," coolly responded Lightning. Who began her hasty journey again; Snow and Lebreau just followed her like a duckling follows its mother.

* * *

Estheim Residence, Living Room.

Hope sat on a couch, waiting for the two young women to change their clothes. He wonder what they will pick, he had thought it over several times what clothes they may pick, he came up with this; Fang is the tomboyish type so she will pick something that makes her look "tougher" pretty much so she could fit in and be part of the guys while for Vanille she will probably choose some more colorful bright clothes, in which she might pick his mom's one piece dresses. Then again he could be wrong just making such general assumptions.

"So Hope how we look?" came a voice from behind Hope, he in response to the voice turns his head just to be stunned… he was right… dead on right.

Fang wore a sleeveless blue camouflage tee-shirt with matching blue camouflage shorts, boots, and she also had a pair fingerless gloves with the same matching color and camouflage. Vanille wore a light pink color one piece dress with flower designs adorn on it. The dress had short sleeves, It also had pink colored laces around the sleeves, collar, and ends of the dress which the end of the dress almost reach to her knees, _almost_… and the dress made her have an even more feminine form. She also wore light pink converse shoes.

Hope was stunned because he never thought they will look good in his MOTHER'S clothes! "Wow, I am speechless I don't know what to tell you…" stated a still stunned Hope, while Fang just grinned wildly and Vanille had a huge smile plaster on her face.

"Well 'hat all you got to tell us," Fang responded to Hope.

Hope trying to get change the subject before it gets out of hand like last time, "Hey remember I promise both of you to a tour of New Palumpolum, so shall we go?" Hope reminded the two women. Vanille crossed her left arm with Hope's right arm and Fang crossed her right arm with Hope's left arm. Hope was confused and blushing.

"You have a date with both of us then!" both Vanille and Fang excitedly shouted out to Hope, as they (while dragging Hope) march towards the private air-pads.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Square City, Roof top of the Apartment Building.

Lightning, Snow and Lebreau made a mad dash to get towards the shuttle. While they were heading towards the shuttle they had overheard someone. There seem to be two people behind the water tank.

A woman was crying as a guard forcefully grabbed her by the arm. "Don't worry little lady it won't her a bit once I am done with you…" venomously said the PSICOM soldier, out of nowhere a pair of arms started to choke him, he had to let his hold of the woman's arm go. Now he was struggling against the arms that were strangling him and those exact arms were from Lightning.

He thrash and turned trying to loosen her gripe around his neck but she just strengthen her grip on him, he grabbed a knife from his thigh pouch and stabbed her on the leg an obvious cried of pain was heard but in a flash a gun-blade in its sword mode cuts a part of his mask off as he barely manage to dodge it. Though Lightning doesn't let her assault up, she quickly kicks the helmet off the soldier and next a barrage of punches just land on his face. After in which she flips him to the ground and pressed her thumbs on his eyeballs, putting pressure in them until blood started to pool up, screams of agony are heard from the man but Lightning still continued to stab her thumbs deeper into the mans skull.

"Lightning that's enough! Lightning stop!" Snow shouted towards Lightning who was not reacting to his yelling, she began to bang the head of the soldier on the steel made roof. Snow grabbed Lightning and pull back to her feet. The woman that was there just made a run for it.  
She slapped Snow blood smeared on his cheek, "Don't ever do that again… or you will be in that same position," was all that came out of her mouth. Snow was really confused on her reaction and his left cheek was hurting like hell now.

Though when they resume getting into the shuttle a squad of PSICOM light soldiers appeared and opened fire on the group. Everyone took cover behind whatever was available; Lebreau began to snipe, while Lightning was preparing a C4. Snow looked at Lightning like she was a madman.

"What in the world are you planning to do with that exactly?!" blurted out Snow.

"What exactly is C4 used?" Lightning questioned Snow, he immediately replied. "Too cause a big boom?" half-jokily Snow had responded to her, while she just gained a crazy look to her eyes, "Exactly."

Lightning use a piece of cloth to clean her hands off the blood and she threw it, at that point several soldier jumped out of their covered to shoot the cloth thinking it was their target. Lightning used this opportunity to peek and discovered their hidden positions; one of the soldiers was killed by a sniper shot from Lebreau. Lightning quickly tossed the C4 at the direction where the PSICOM soldiers were in cover, the second she heard a "thud" sound she pressed a trigger causing a huge explosion to go off. Limbs and guts flew; sadly to Lightning's expense a head rolled next to where Lightning was taking cover in. She looked straight at the dead man's head that his right eye was opened, dark memories she tried so hard to forget flooded her mind. She became scared, she became frantic she ran from her cover, to afraid to look back and see the eyes staring straight at her. A PSICOM soldier notice Lightning running out of cover, in which he tried to take the advantage to kill Lightning if Lebreau didn't blow his brains off before he pulled the trigger.

Lightning had entered the shuttle; she waited for the other two to board. Once they did she immediately lift off from the roof, though the roof was already weak and the C4 explosion didn't help the roof just collapsed.

* * *

On Lightning's Shuttle, en route to anywhere.

Lightning was in the pilot seat driving the shuttle, while Snow sat in co-pilot seat with his arms behind his head. Lebreau just sat in the middle of the shuttle where the entrance was.

"Lightning," Snow now had a showed a concerned look on his face. Lightning didn't say anything or even moved an inch but he knew she was paying attention now.

"What happened back there? You freaked out when you saw a scorched up head but you didn't when you stabbed your thumbs in a dude's skull?" Snow used a serious tone while asking this question, something he rarely does.

"Nothing just thought it was a grenade nothing else," Lightning keeping the same emotionless face she had on since they had met back in the alleyway.

"Oh yeah a grenade freaks out Lightning but two fricking Behemoths with two _GIANT_ chainsaws didn't even made you flinch! So cut the chase, what has happened to you all these years?" Snow's voice betraying him showed signs of concern.

"None of your damn business, that is what happened," Lightning had blurted it out now gaining a scowl on her face. Snow knew this was the queue you just stop asking questions before punches start flying.

Lightning pressed some buttons and an obvious buzz from a phone was ringing, the person who picked up was someone Snow had remembered when he was an l'Cie. "Yello, this is Sazh need any help Miss Lightning?" Sazh happily greeted the call.

"Hey Sazh!" yelled Snow, earning a death glare from Lightning.

"Ha, is that you Snow? Oh boy if you are with Lightning that means you must be in big trouble," Snow smirked at the comment but Lightning quickly interrupted.

"I need somewhere to hide my shuttle for awhile, mind if I can use one of your garages?" asked Lightning suddenly.

"Whoa not even a hello and now you want to use my garages for your hideouts, it better be a good reason to!" Sazh almost sounded like he was scolding Lightning.

"Cut it Sazh, I need somewhere to resupply my stash of medicine and food," Lightning pointed out.

"Jeez, this is just fire to the wood I tell yeah. I will let you in the garage no problem, just make sure none is following you, send me your coordinates" Sazh's friendlier voice had dropped to a more serious tone. Lightning quickly pulled a data pad and rapidly pressed buttons on the screen.

"Alright I got the coordinates, here sending you the nearest garage to your location, remembered don't let anyone follow you or it will blow our cover," stated Sazh.

"No problem with me," Lightning coolly responded to Sazh as she maneuver in Pulse's great canyons where she will lay low in for awhile until they are nowhere near the City.

"Hey before you hang up, I need to tell you and Snow something very important," he gained the full attention of Lightning and Snow; while Snow leaned in to the console while Lightning was still unfazed.

"Hope sent me an urgent message the other day, and guess who I found uncrystallized! Vanille and Fang are well and aware now!" Sazh excitedly told them the news. Lightning felt happy for Hope that he had gotten his wish; though a sign of Fang being awakened means… she is going to hear her real name, a lot.

"Wait what?! You are not joking with us Sazh!?" Snow couldn't believe the news, "Nope I saw them with my two eyes," stated Sazh.

"Its just sad they had to awaken when Pulse is in such a mess…" Lightning muttered to none in particular, but Snow and Sazh heard it. They both agreed on that fact.

"How is Hope doing Sazh?" Lightning asked her face and voice tone softening a bit, Snow and Sazh knew that she treated that kid as if it were her own child.

"He is doing great, his getting his license in medicine soon too!" Sazh pointed out the good news, Snow in excitement punched the air and Lightning had a smile on her face with a slow descending tear running on her right cheek.

"Oh and one more thing… do you think it is possible that Anima is still alive? Maybe it's the reason why Vanille and Fang have awoken?" hesitantly asked Sazh, Lightning and Snow began to contemplate on the idea.

"Well did you saw a l'Cie brand on Fang?" asked Lightning

"No, not really her right arm was clear of the brand," responded Sazh.

"How about Vanille…? Wait never mind that," Snow asked but immediately remember the awkward moment everyone had back on Cocoon when they noticed they all had a brand and Snow had asked her if she became an l'Cie. She showed everyone her brand, which was located on her thigh.

"We will have to look into it, it's strange that they awoke and they now have no brand," Lightning mentioned to both the men, who silently agreed.

* * *

In a hidden cave somewhere in Gran Pulse.

Six l'Cie stood in front of their crippled leader who had been instructing them for his grand master plan, "I have divided all of you into a pair of two, your jobs will be to spy on the individuals I have given you or if I gave you another job you must follow it to the letter. Our return will be soon do not falter on your task, but to get there we must do unpleasant and uninterested work to get there. Remember the old Pulsian code: All born from mother Pulse are divine; all born of Wretched Cocoon are hollow beast, in which thy children of the divine mother must ascend and bring justice to all. We will ascend, and we will be reborn in the womb of our CREATOR!" the other l'Cie roared in excitement.

Their leader had promised them a salvation by becoming gods… what kind of justice will any of this do?

* * *

New Palumpolum, Free Market District.

New Palumpolum is a huge metropolitan city in the great snow covered mountains of Oerba, even though the mountains were covered in snow but yet even with this cold weather aspect to it, the temperatures felt like it was spring time. Even when snow was stuck to the grounds, it never melted with the spring temperature that precipitated around the area. Actually for this very strange weather is what has made New Palumpolum a great tourist attraction with many store brands and amusement parks.

Hope was showing Vanille and Fang many stores mainly clothing stores so they could get their own clothes without needing to wear his mother's clothes. They will grab rows of clothes and tried them on, while they ask Hope how they look. Hope trying to give his most honest opinions without hurting anyone's feelings because at times they wore questionable things, a frog suit is a very questionable piece of clothing… After they were done shopping they dropped off the bags to the private frigate.

Next he took them to a restaurant, not too fancy but at the same time not to shabby. Here is where Hope understood one thing and questioned another. How can Vanille and Fang go through 15 plates of food and are still able to eat. And the question is where is all this food going?! It's like they have a block hole for a stomach! After they finished eating and Hope pay the expenses they kept looking around.

They went to a movie theatre to watch a horror movie, called "Left 4 Dead" very intense at points. Whenever there was an intensive parts or a matter of factly whenever a zombie appeared Vanille will grab onto Hope's arm, while Fang sat to Hope's left while she was smirking and chuckling at the situation Hope was in. There were times when some really scary parts will appear that will make Vanille hug Hope, while she pressed his head between her bosoms in which he almost suffocated… five times... After the movie was over, it was getting late so Hope suggested going back home but Vanille and Fang resisted that the fun was just starting, and that they should go to a disco.

Reluctantly Hope had to agree, since they were new to the place and he had invited them to tour the city. As they walked towards the disco, two cloaked people followed them through the dense crowd of people, walking in the semi-cold streets of New Palumpolum. Hope's night was just starting…

* * *

Next: Act 2: Tip of the Spear, Chapter 4: Instrument of Dreams.

Author's Note: The "Hate" in this chapter title was to reflect Lightning's hatred of some memory she has that I won't reveal now. Hehehehehe…


End file.
